A miner is someone who takes out minerals from the earth through mining or works at a rock face for cutting, blasting, and removing the rock. As mining is a dangerous trade, it requires a bachelor’s degree in engineering, mining engineering, or geological engineering.
As technology is constantly changing, miners and mining engineers need to upgrade their education. Miner extracts and prepares minerals, metals, and coal.
| Advantages of being a Miner | Disadvantages of being a Miner |
| Precious metals and jewels | A profession full of dangers |
| An exciting profession | Underground work |
| Earn decent money | General working conditions are difficult |
| One may be able to work for themselves | Mining is a physically demanding job |
| No mandatory requirement of education | Lesser job security |
| Miners don’t have to stare at a computer screen all day long | Accidents are common |
| Miners must keep the system running | Claustrophobic will get Problematic |
| Miners have standard workweeks | Lower life expectancy than another profession |
Advantages of being a Miner
Precious metals and jewels
Miners find precious metals and jewels during their work. As this is the job for him and he gives those things to a mining company for which he works.
But if he will belong in the company and his boss is good in nature, he may be allowed to keep one of his findings as a bonus
An exciting profession
The profession of a miner is very exciting. One not only finds precious jewels or gold during their shift. Though mines do not have secure working conditions, and there are uncertainties.
However, challenges also thrill, and they become proving ground. Many need the thrill and a high level of uncertainty to feel comfortable at work.
Earn decent money
Being a miner, one can earn decent money from what they are doing. As per online surveys, the average salary is around $72,000 per year. The experienced and dedicated miners can even earn more than it.
It depends on the mining company one is working for and on the location, one lives in. If a miner is lucky and explores a big deposit on minerals, he will make a fortune.
One may be able to work for themselves
There are several mines where one can work as a self-employed person. One will be granted access for a specific period of time after he pays a certain fee to the owner of the mine.
A few times, one can mine for themselves if they give away a share of their findings to the owner of the mine. If one has amassed sufficient wealth, one may purchase their own mine.
No mandatory requirement of education
A miner does not need a college degree for working in a mine. Though training in safety and following special standard operating procedure, there is no mandatory requirement of any educational degree.
As mining is pretty applied work, they do not have to study a lot for becoming a miner
Miners don’t have to stare at a computer screen all day long
Miners have the privilege to avoid working before a computer in an office. While most other professionals will stare at a computer screen almost all day long since they will prepare presentations and other things
Miners are vital to keep system running
A miner makes a great contribution to keeping our system running. One cannot imagine a world without metals, minerals, or coal.
We will not be able to generate electricity and to produce cars etc. The quality of life will drop beyond imagination.
Miners have standard workweeks
In most places, miners have standard workweeks. It means that they will be home early in the evening as compared to other professions. Moreover, they will be able to spend more time with their families or meet up with friends or relatives.
One can follow their hobbies like gardening, pets as a miner since they will simply have plenty of leisure.
Disadvantages of being a Miner
A profession full of dangers
While there are many challenges in their profession, challenges have underlying risks involved. Some miners have lost their lives while working in a mine as mines just collapsed. Also, working as a miner is not good for health.
One will have to breathe air that may be contaminated with unfavorable substances.
Underground work
A miner has to work in a mine digging caves, exploring underground, and extracting minerals, metals, and coal. One you will have to work underground.
As most mining operations are below the soil surface therefore one will not be able to see the daylight most of their workday. It will be very frustrating and may also give one a strange artificial feeling.
General working conditions are difficult
Most of the time, working conditions for miners are quite difficult. Air is very bad most of the time and many miners even have problems breathing in a proper manner, especially in the course of their career since plenty of dust will be inhaled by them. Consequently, their lungs might not work properly after a certain period of time.
Mining is physically demanding job
A downside of being a miner is that working in mines is very exhausting and physically demanding.
Though, there are machines for certain heavy physical tasks. But there are several things that have to be done by hand. A miner needs a high fitness level to carry out these works.
Lesser job security
A miner does not have much job security. Though there will always be demand for metals and other precious elements, a miner will always be replaceable. As there is no mandatory education required to become a miner.
Anyone can do the work of a miner because no special knowledge or skill is required. And a person who is healthier and younger than one might replace them at any point in time.
Accidents are common
A disadvantage of being a miner is that one might be always at risk for serious accidents. Though it is not rare that mines collapse in the world, there may still be significant other risks involved in mining.
As miners operate heavy machinery, they are always at great risk of getting injured by those machines, if they do not know how to operate those properly
Claustrophobic will get Problematic
A claustrophobic person will not be the correct candidate for a job in the mining industry. A claustrophobic person cannot stay in narrow spaces like mines for a longer period of time. Moreover working as a miner often implies working in narrow corridors.
Lower life expectancy than other profession
Because of the overall rather, poor working conditions and the risk of accidents in mines, the average life expectancy of miners is much lower as compared to other professionals.
It gets worse in poor developing and underdeveloped countries where working environments for miners are very bad as compared to the Western world.
Prone to mental depressed in the long run
Most miners do suffer from mental problems in the course of their careers. Working in those narrow environments and a regular lack of daylight can make miners frustrated and depressed.
Most miners do lose their motivation for mining as they will have to handle the dirt but do not get much of the results they produce for their companies.
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I’m a former teacher with a background in child development and a passion for creating engaging and educational activities for children. I strongly understand child development and know how to create activities to help children learn and grow. Spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, and volunteering in my community.